Pickling apparatus



April 1931- F. HUMMEL PICKLING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 24, 1929 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FL. HummeZ BY law/saw ATTORNEYS Apr- 14, 1931.F. L. HUMMEL PICKLING APPARATUs Filed Aug. 24, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR 3 F Ll/ummel BY W WWO$ atentecl Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED STATESPATENT OFlQE FRANK I1. HUMMEL, OF NEW YORK, N. '21, ASSIGNOR TO COPPERPLATE SHEET AND TUBE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK PICKLING APPARATUS Application filed. August 24, 1929. Serial No.388,072.

This invention relates to methods of and apparatus for pickling metalsheets, and more'particularly to 'a method of pickling wherein theindividual sheets are carried around a rotary pickler and sprayed withthe pickling solution.

An older method of pickling metal sheets consists of plunging the sheetsinto the pickling solution stacked in piles in a Mesta pickler crateoperated by a plunger which moves the crate up and down in an acid soution until all of the iron oxide of the sheets has been removed. Suchprocess is both ineficient and wasteful.

the re eated plunging of the pickling crate to su ciently'separate thesheets to permit the acid to remove all of the oxide. Inorder to securesatisfactory results the pickling must be continued for a period of timethat to results in excessiveloss of the metal.

An improved method of treating metal sheets consists in individuallyannealing and ickling the sheets. When the sheets are handled in thismanner, more uniform heating may be obtained in the annealin operationand the pickling operation can c more easily carried out with ex osureof the individual sheets to the pickling solution for a shorter lengthof time. The present invention is designed for use in connection withannealing processes in which ferrous sheets are individuall annealed. Inthe present invention the s eets are fed individually to compartments orpockets on the periphery of a rotary pickler and the rotary pickler isintermittently rotated in a hood or casing where the sheets are sprayedwith the pickling solution. The spent pickling solution flows to a sumpat the bottom of the hood or casing from which it may be removed bysuitable pumps and circulating apparatus to be returned to the sprayinmechanism or to "be reconditioned prior to rther use.

The invention further comprises suitable means ,for' feeding the sheetswhereby the linear speed of the sheets is increased as the sheets arefed into the ockets or compartments of the rotary'pic or so that thesheets may b rou lv fe to th se mp m duringt e period of rest and themachipe Reliance is placed on then actuated to bring a new pocket inalignment with the feeding mechanism before the next sheet is inposition to be received.

The invention also comprises suitable delivery mechanism properly timedto extract the sheets from the pockets of the pickler and deliver themto suitable rolls whereby they are conveyed from the pickler.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown one form of the invention. Inthis showing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in sectlon;

2 is a plan view, partly in section;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional viedw of a portion of thefeeding mechanism; an

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a portion of the delivery mechanism.

The rotary pickler is mounted on a shaft 1 supported in suitablebearings 2 and comprises a pair of plates or disks 3 suitably spacedfrom each other a distance sufiicient for the width of the sheets.Adjacent the periphery of the rotary pickler I provide a plurality ofpockets which are preferably formed of wire of an acid resisting alloyand which consists of U-shaped arms 4 extending from the inner sides ofeach of the disks 3 toward each other. At the inside of the U- shapedmembers, or at the bottom of the pockets I provide a plurality of wires5 which limit the inward movement of the sheets toward the'hub of therotary pickler. The rotary pickler is mounted in a casing 6, the upperportion of which is curved and slightly s aced from the periphery of therotary pickler as shown. The pickling solution is delivered into thecasing through a plurality of pipes 7 connected to arcuate shapedheaders 8 arranged around the upper half of the pickler and adapted tospraythe pickling solution on to the plates as the drum is 1'0- tated asindicated at 9. The top of the casing is provided with an opening 10connected to a suitable stack for the exhaust of acid fumes. The lowerhalf of the casing is mounted in a sump 11 in which the used picklinsolution is collected and from which it may e removed by anysuitablesystem of pumps and circulating pipes to either be returned topi es 7 or reconditioned for use.

Suitable ceding mechanism is arranged at one side of the casing andadapted to deliver the sheets to be pickled into the casing through anopenin 12. The feed mechanism is mounted in a suitable frame consistingof longitudinal side bars 13. and vertical posts or standards 14.The'first pair of standards form a support fora pair of grab rolls whichare arranged at the outlet end of the cooling tube, or other apparatusfrom which the annealed sheets are delivered and are adapted to receivea sheet A and deliver it to conveyor chains 16 operating at the samerate of speed. e conveyor chains pass over suitable sprockets mounted ona shaft 18 adjacent the grab rolls 15 and on a shaft 19 arrangedintermediate the ends of the side members 13. A second conveyor chain 20I (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawmgs) passes over sprockets21 loosely mounted on the shaft 18 and retained against lat--eral-displacement by suitable collars 21. The conveyor chains 20 extenda greater distance and pass over sprockets 23 mounted on a shaft 24.adjacent the other 'end of the longitudinal side bars 13 of the frame.When the horizontal plane is the shaft 26 in vertical alignment with asecond shaft 27. These shafts are provided with disks 29 similar to grabroll 15 which operate at a higher speed and feed the sheets toward therotary pickler.

rolls 30 and 31 which are arranged within the pickler casing inalignment with the slot 12. Between these rolls and the periphery of thepickler drum a table 32 or revolving rolls are provided over which thesheet passes and this table or rolls are supported on an angle 33 in thecasing wall.

, The means" for intermittently rotating the pickler and driving thefeed apparatus consists of a motor 34 or other prime mover adaptedtodrive a shaft 35 through suitable gearing arranged in a gear casing36'. The

shaft 35 is connected to the shaft 26 by means of a chain or belt 37passing over suitable sprockets or pulleys on the ends of these.

shafts as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Gear 28 on shaft 26 drives shaft 27through a gear 38 (see Fig; 3) and in turn drives "a gear 39 mounted ona main drive shaft 40. Grab rolls 30 and 31 are provided with meshingpinions 41 and 42 and the lower of these pinions meshes with the gear 39to drive the grab rolls. The shaft 40 extends to one side of thepickling drum as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and is provided withsuitable means 43, such as a Geneva movement to drive a shaft 44intermittently. This shaft is provided with a pinion 45 meshing with agear 46 on a shaft 47 and the shaft 47 is in turn provided with a pinion48 meshing with a ring gear 49 arranged on the periphery of the rotarypickler.

It will thus be seen that the rotary pickler is intermittently driven indetail in Fig. 3 of the drawings and the arms 55 extend under the shaftof the upper grab roll 30 and are arranged outwardly of the roll. Theguiding device is spring pressed toward the dotted line position shownin Fig. 3 of the drawings b means of a coil spring 56 mounted on a ro 57which is connected to each of the levers 51 and which extends through anopening in' a' suitable guide 58 on the frame of a machine. When theguiding member is moved back'backwardly to the full line position shownin-Fi 3 of 'the drawings by the cam 50, the rod 5% is forced downwardlyplacing the spring under tension and as soon as arms 51 ride off of thehigh point of the cam, the guiding member moves forwardly to the dottedline position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This pretbkld'th'df dhtBeyond these feeding disks areapa1r of grab f S a no e on) erwlse e OrmeS 86 om raising up off of the table 32 and not feeding properly into thepockets or compartments of the pickler. 4

At the outlet end of the machine-I provide suitable delivery apparatuswhich is adapted to reciprocate between the wire frames at each side ofthe pockets and remove the sheets from the pockets or compartments ofthe rotary pickler; 'As shown, a suitable table or support 59 extendsradially into the pickler casing and a delivery member 60 is adapted toreciprocate thereon. This delivery member is provided with a lip 61 atits rear edge adapted to engage the end of vthe sheet at the bottom ofthe pocket. It is reciprocated from the main shaft 40 by-means of aconnecting shaft 62 which is driven from the main shaftby a spiral gear63 and in turn drives main delivery shaft 64 (see Fig. 4) through aspiral gear 65. The main dellvery shaft is in turn provided with a cam66 adapted to be engaged by a roller 67 carried by an arm or cam yoke68. This arm is forked at its end as indicated at 69 to receive with thesheet.

the drive shaft 64 and its opposite end is connected to a crank mountedon a rock shaft 71. The rock shaft in turn carries a link 72 connectedto a driving member 73 which is in turn connected to an ear or bracket74 carried by the feeding device 60. In alignment with the feedingdevice and within the pickler casing I provide a on which are mountedsuitable grab rolls 77 and at one end of these shafts I provideintermeshing pinions 78 and 79. The lower pinion meshes with a gear 80carried by the drive shaft 64. Similarly a plurality of feeding disks 81and 82 are mounted on suitable shafts 83 and 84. These shafts are alsoprovided with intermeshing pinions 85 and 86, the lower of which mesheswith the gear 80.

The operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoingdescription. The speed of the machine is regulated so that a sheet isfed in the rotary pickler for each revolution of the main drive shaft40. By way of illustration sheets may be delivered to the grab rolls 15at a speed of 140 feet per minute and the sheets may be carriedforwardly at this speed by the conveyor chains 16. The shaft 19 isdriven by a chain 87 which passes over a sprocket on this shaft and asprocket on the shaft 24. The shaft 24is in turn driven from the shaft26 by a chain 88 passing over sprockets on these two shafts. By suitablyarranging the size of the sprockets over which the chain 87 passes, theconveyor chain 16 may be driven at a slower rate of'speed than theconveyor chain 20. The conveyor.

chain 20 is driven directly from the shaft 24 throughthe sprockets 23and passes over the idler sprockets 22 on the shaft 18. In thisillustration the conveyor chain 20 is driven at a-speed of 197 feet perminute and the lags 25 on this shaft pick up the sheets and carry themforwardly at this increased speed. This separates the sheets a distanceof ap proximately 14% inches from each other with a 28 inch sheet. Thegrab rolls or discs 29 operate at a speed of 220 feet per minute andpull the sheet away from the pusher lugs 25 permitting the chain andlugs to pass around the sprockets without interference The sheet is thenpassed to the feed rolls 41 and 42 and delivered into the parts of therotary pickler. The sheet is guided in its movement into the pocket bythe guiding members 54 as heretofore described.

The speed of the rotary pickler is controlled by the Geneva gear standat rest two-thirds of'the interval allowed for anyone sheet to pass.While the rotary pickler is stationary a suficient period of timeelapses to permit a sheet to be fed into the pocket that has beenbrought into alignment with the feeding mechanism.

The number of compartments correspond pair of shafts 75 and 7 6,

43 which permits it to' to the number of sheets to be pickled within aprescribed time and this in turn determines the circumference of thepickler and its speed of rotation. As an example, in an apparatusdesigned to pickle 56 sheets per minute and to submit each sheet to apickling operation for a period of three minutes, the pickler will beprovided with 336 compartments as the sheets being pickled are carriedaround the upper half only. If the compartments are spaced two inches oncenter at the periphery of the pickler the diameter will beapproximately 18 feet and the rotary pickler will rotate at a peripheralspeed of 9 feet per minute. The speed of the shaft 40 is correlated withthe peripheral speed of the pickler and the speed of the other parts ofthe apparatus is in turn correlated with the speed of this shaft.

The apparatus herein described permits continuous spraying of the sheetsto be pickled with fresh pickling solution from a main source of supplymaintained at the proper degree of acidity and temperature. t provides adegree of flexibility never before obtained in individual picklingapparatus for treating sheets of various dimensions and gauges and atany desired speed. It provides economical means for disposing of thespent acid and makes ossible the pickling of sheets economically. t alsoprovides a practical apparatus in which the sheets can be fed to therotary pickler and discharged as the pickler is being rotated. Itreduces the amount of floor space required for a pickling operation andpermits the disposal of the acid fumes with a minimum danger tobuildings and to the'health of the men employed in the picklingoperation.

I claim:

1. Pickling apparatus comprising a rotary pickler, a plurality ofpockets formed in said rotary pickler, means for feeding sheets intosaid pockets, means for guiding said sheets as they are being fed intosaid pockets, said means comprising a guiding member reciprocating overthe upper surface of the sheet as it is delivered into a pocket, andmeans for actuating said guiding member.

2. Pickling apparatus comprising a rotary pickler, a pllurality ofpockets formed in said rotary pic er, means for feeding sheets into saidpockets, means for guiding sheets as they are being fed into saidpockets, said means comprising a yoke arranged over the sheet, armsconnected to the ends of said yoke, means for normally maintaining saidyoke in engagement with the upper surface of a sheet being fed to saidpockets and cams for moving said arms and said yoke to an inoperativeposition.

3. In combination with a rotary pickler having pockets arranged adjacentthe periphery thereof, a discharging device comprising a reciprocatingplatform, a lug formed on the said cam,

upper surface of said Platform and adapted I .to engage the edge of asheet in a pocket of said conveyor, a driving member connected to saidplatform, a driving shaft, a yoke mounted on said shaft, a cam carriedby said shaft, a'roller carried by said yoke arid engaging and driveconnections between said yoke and said driving member to reciprocatesaid platform.

In testimony whereof I aflix my'si'gnature. FRANK L. HUMMEL.

